While Il Etait Temps was a non-runner on the day, Willie Mullins still won his fifth consecutive Grade 2 Clonmel Oil Chase on Thursday.
Kappa Jy Pyke was sent off the 2/9 favourite under Paul Townend in the absence of his stablemate and he popped around the near 2m5f course nicely, seeing off Herja and Blaze The Way with little fuss.
Neat and tidy over the last after getting in a little close, Townend barely shook the reins to ensure a comfortable one-and-three-quarter length victory aboard the six-year-old.
It was a second graded win for the son of Masked Marvel who won at Grade 3 level last season at Punchestown before he was beaten into second in the Grade 1 WillowWarm Gold Cup at Fairyhouse.
Il Etait Temps won last year's renewal by 18 lengths on his way to Tingle Creek, Queen Mother Champion Chase and Punchestown Champion Chase wins at the highest level, but he was taken out of this year's race due to the quicker ground.
"Entitled to do it," said Paul Townend on Racing TV. "But it doesn't always work out that way. I got a nice round of jumping into him, we tipped away and we raced down over the last two (fences). He was good an accurate over them, he's a lovely bonny horse, light on his feet and he enjoys a bit of nice ground.
"He's entitled to be an improving horse still."
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